Matt Araiza Could Sneakily Be One of Chiefs' Best Bargain Players

Contrary to the reputation that coordinator Dave Toub has constructed, his special teams units with the Kansas City Chiefs haven't quite been up to snuff in recent seasons. With that said, one aspect of the game's third phase undoubtedly improved this past campaign.

After a tumultuous debut effort in Kansas City, punter Matt Araiza found level ground and performed better in 2025. Is he capable of taking his game to new heights again in 2026?

If the Chiefs' special teams operation is to return to form, productive contributions from the punter will likely play a major role in that restoration. Chiefs On SI is ranking the top 25 Chiefs for the upcoming season, and Araiza takes the No. 17 spot.

Why Araiza Is So Important

As a team that doesn't always dominate opponents and frequently lives on the margins, the Chiefs need quality play from their punter more now than earlier in the Patrick Mahomes era. The field position battle is no joke, as it influences the likelihood of a successful drive from the opponent.

The longer a team has to drive down the field, the lower their expected points for the possession are. It's paramount that punters pin offenses deep in their own territory, creating a potential ripple effect on the next series and beyond.

Araiza doesn't see as much work as some other punters, as evidenced by his 17th ranking in total boots (56) last season. Still, he remains an important part of the support staff to the franchise's core of quarterback Patrick Mahomes and company.

Araiza's Strengths and Weaknesses

Given his decline in yards per punt (-1.2) and net yards per punt (-0.5), it's ironic that most would consider Araiza's 2025-26 season as superior to the one before. Peeling back the curtain, however, showcases his growth.

Araiza knows he has a powerful leg. He made that clear in 2024, when he had a longest punt of 72 yards. Layering kicks and adjusting to what the situation called for were weak points for him, though. As a de facto rookie, he had nine touchbacks to the tune of a 14.5% rate.

Last year, those respective numbers fell to three and 5.4%, respectively. Not only that, but 44.6% of Araiza's punts went inside the 20-yard line — a 4.3% year-over-year jump. Per Puntalytics, among all punters with at least 40 attempts, he ranked 13th in EPA with 0.05.

Finding a way to get more net yards out of a punt would be nice, as Araiza was 20th in that category a season ago. But much of that is tied to his coverage team, making it less reflective of his ability. The real path to improvement is continued progress with touch to get him from quality to good (or potentially even great).

What Happens If Araiza Gets Hurt?

For starters, the Chiefs only have one punter! Much like with kicker Harrison Butker, there's no direct replacement for Araiza on the 53-man roster. That alone makes him a key cog in the machine, but it isn't like he's irreplaceable.

In the event of an in-game Araiza injury, K.C. could opt for an emergency replacement from its game day roster or simply be more aggressive on fourth downs. As far as the free agent market is concerned for a longer-term fill-in, there are numerous names out there.

Two of them had significant experience punting for teams a year ago. Former Arizona Cardinals punter Matt Haack had 25 tries in seven games, and Jamie Gillan had 55 in 16 regular-season contests with the New York Giants.

Why We Ranked Araiza Here

It may not be a tremendous reflection of the state of the Chiefs' roster that their punter could be a top-20 player on the team. At any rate, it says more about the underrated ascension of a 26-year-old who may still have some upside left.

Araiza took a big-time weakness and turned it into something more than passable. He was tied for ninth with the aforementioned touchback percentage last year, and his inside-the-20 clip was good for 11th. He's objectively a respectable player relative to his peers, which is being conservative.

For a one-year deal worth just over $1 million, it's hard to beat that value.

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